Cinderella
by T. F. Crosby
Summary: Songfic.I can't say much without giving it away. It's ambiguous until the very end. If you've heard the song by Steven Curtis Chapman, then you'll have an idea of what it's about.


My first attempt at a song fic. This has more meaning to it now than it did when I began writing it Tuesday.

The song is _Cinderella _by Steven Curtis Chapman. On it's own the story is sad. But after the events of Wednesday, May 21, The sadness has increased.

This is dedicated to the Chapman family in loving memory of their five year old daughter and sister, Maria Sue, who was killed in a tragic accident on Wednesday.

_"who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves our comforted of God." _2 Corinthians 1:4

* * *

**Cinderella**

_She spins and she sways to whatever song plays_

_Without a care in the world_

_And I'm sitting here wearing the weight of the world_

_On my shoulders_

He sat on the couch, smiling broadly as he watched his little girl make up dances to every song that came onto the radio. He watched as the five year old went from ballet and what seemed like common slow dances with the slow songs to shaking her little behind to the faster-paced and crazier songs. He laughed heartily at the antics that only a small child can provide and clapped and cheered at the end of each song.

_It's been a long day and there's still work to do_

_She's pulling at me saying, "Dad I need you._

_There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited_

_And I need to practice my dancing._

_Oh, please, Daddy please."_

She was wearing the new dress he had bought for her a few days ago. It was made of soft, red velvet with a ribbon around her waist, tied into a bow in the back. Yes, he was her father so he was supposed to say it, but she was the cutest, most beautiful little girl in the Atmos. He pulled her into a bear-hug and kissed her on the forehead.

"I love you, Baby," he said as he stood up. "I gotta go do some work now, okay."

She frowned. As he turned around she began to pull on his shirt. "Wait, Daddy."

"Not now, Baby," he said softly.

"But I need you. There's a ball at the castle and I need to practice my dancing." He looked down at her sternly, but she returned his gaze with pleading eyes. "Please, Daddy."

Now, how could he resist those big eyes, those eyes that said "you're the greatest daddy in the universe."

He caved. "Alright."

_So I will dance with Cinderella _

_While she is here in my arms_

'_Cause I know something the prince never knew._

_Oh, I will dance with Cinderella_

_I don't want to miss even one song_

'_Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

_And she'll be gone._

He took her small hands into his and she stepped up onto his feet. She looked up at him, grinning from ear to ear. Her eyes shone with an angelic light that only her father could see. Together they danced to every song that came onto the radio, whether it was slow and beautiful or fast and crazy, for nearly an hour (with a few commercial breaks, of course). As the hour drew to a close and another song began to play he scooped her up into his arms, dancing around the room. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek before laying her head down on his shoulder. He smiled and kissed the top of her head. His baby girl was growing up too fast for his liking. He would be perfectly happy if she stayed just the way she was now.

_She says he's a nice guy and I'd be impressed_

_She wants to know if I approve of the dress_

_She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away_

_And I need to practice my dancing_

_Oh, please, Daddy, please."_

"You'll love him, Daddy," she called from her bedroom.

"Oh, really," he replied in that father-voice that said, 'If he does anything that I don't approve of, I'll kill him.'

He was standing out in the hallway, leaning against the wall opposite her door. She had just returned home from a near-full day of shopping for a prom dress with her mother and she wanted to make sure he approved of her choice. She was sure he would. After all, she had gone shopping with Mom, but still...

"Dad..." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me. I know when you're rolling your eyes. I don't need to see you to know."

"You sound like Mom," she laughed. "Don't worry. He's a true gentleman. And even if he did try something I'd beat him up."

_Of that, he had no doubt._

"Okay, I'm ready. But you have to go downstairs and wait."

"You sound like your mother," he replied.

She heard no footsteps. "Dad!"

"Okay, I'm going."

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes, Baby, I am."

He held his breath, waiting for his little girl to make her appearance. He looked on stone-faced as she finally appeared at the top of the stairs. Her radiant smile lit up her face like the breaking of a long-awaited dawn. He remained stone-faced as she came down the stairs, not wanting to give his approval away too soon. He wanted to make her squirm—_just a little_. He looked at her, almost cross, for a moment.

"Daddy?" Her smile dropped.

His face broke into a huge smile. He took her face into his hands and kissed her on the forehead. "You look absolutely beautiful."

Her smile returned as she said, "The prom's just a week away. I really need to practice my dancing. Please Daddy."

_Oh, I will dance with Cinderella_

_While she is here in my arms_

'_Cause I know something the prince never knew._

_Oh, I will dance with Cinderella_

_I don't want to miss even one song_

'_Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

_And she'll be gone_

_She will be gone_

He placed an old record of Jeremy Shust (one of his favorite singers), which included some of his daughter's favorite songs from when she was small, onto the turntable, turned it on and gently placed the needle into its proper place. He walked back over to her and took her hand. As the music filled the room, they smiled at each other and began to dance. Looking down at her, images of a five year old girl dancing around and grinning from ear to ear flooded his mind. A hint of sadness appeared in his eyes. It wouldn't be long before she would be coming to him for the most important dance practice of her life. _He hoped_.

_She came home today with a ring on her hand_

_Just glowing and telling us all they had planned_

_She says, "Dad the wedding's still six months away_

_But I need to practice my dancing_

_Oh, please, Daddy, please."_

"I can't believe he finally asked me," she said excitedly as she gave her mother a hug. "I want to wear your dress."

He smiled to himself as he watched her talk to her mother. He stood in the kitchen entryway, quietly, until his daughter came over to him, gave him a hug and a kiss and then dragged him to the coach where her mother was already seated. He couldn't believe she was twenty-one and on the verge of marrying. It seemed like only yesterday she was dragging him to the playroom to play one of her many games.

She began to tell them about her and her fiancé's wedding plans; where and when, who her maid-of-honor would be. When she finished telling them everything about their wedding plans, she turned to her father and said,

"Dad, the wedding's still six months away, but I really need to practice my dancing." She looked at him with those same pleading eyes she had looked at him with over fifteen years ago. "Oh, please, Daddy, please."

How could he resist.

_So, I will dance with Cinderella_

_While she is here in my arms_

'_Cause I know something the prince never knew_

_Oh, I will dance with Cinderella _

_I don't want to miss even one song_

'_Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

_And she'll be gone_

There was no music being played on the radio or the record player this time. They didn't need it. Every song that they had danced to in the past sixteen years came flooding back to them, filling the sweet air around them as if being played by live musicians.

He looked down at her, smiling softly, not seeing the twenty-one year old woman who was soon-to-be married, but the five year old girl that had her arms wrapped around his neck and her head lying on his shoulder.

"I love you, Daddy," she said, laying her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, too, Baby," he replied, kissing her on the top of her head.

No, at that moment, he didn't see his grown daughter. _He saw his baby girl. _

'_Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight_

Piper awoke with a start. It was just a dream. Like every other time_. Why did the dreams have to end?_ She sat up in her bed, staring at the wall in front of her. Light seeped in from the window, illuminating her room. A tear trickled down her cheek. Another tear followed and before she could stop herself, she was sobbing.

"Piper?"

She looked up at the door. She hadn't heard it open. "Oh, hi, Finn," she said wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a dream."

"Oh. Okay." He stared at her. "Oh, I guess I'll leave so you can get dressed." Piper nodded in accord.

As he turned to leave she said, "Hey, Finn."

"Yeah," he said, turning his head.

"Do you ever dream about your parents?"

He looked at her with a hint of sadness in his bright, blue eyes. "All the time."

_And she'll be gone_

**_fin_**

I hope you liked it. Like I said, this was my first attempt at a song fic. This was far more difficult than I expected it to be. But then, I didn't expect to come home from church Wednesday night to the tragic news of little Maria Sue Chapman.


End file.
